Two people woke up yesterday morning. One, excited about spending a day speaking to college students and engaging in inspired debate. The other, to take a life. One, a patriot; the other, an evil coward. One, unafraid and full of joy. The other, slinking in the shadows, full of hate. One with a microphone, the other, a gun. In an instant, a life ended. A husband and father was cut down in the prime of his life, in a senseless act of violence.
Charlie Kirk believed in God, loved Jesus, his family, and America. He believed that the open debate of ideas produced the best outcomes. He wasn’t afraid to walk into a space full of people with opposing ideas and have honest, respectful discussions, because he believed what he said. Whether he was right about everything or not, he at least had the courage to speak up and speak out. No one did more to advance conservative ideals in college-age voters than Charlie Kirk. Young people who were indifferent about politics became engaged and involved. Without Turning Point, the election may have had a different outcome.
He spoke boldly about Jesus, loved his wife and kids well, and was liked by everyone who took the time to get to know him. From Gavin Newsom to President Trump and everyone in between, even people who disagreed with him, admired and respected him.
Pray for his family, his wife and kids, and his parents. Pray for his friends and all those who are grieving. Pray for the young people who looked up to him for guidance and direction. Pray for our country. We can’t keep going on like this.
WE have to do better.
Evil will never prevail.
Written by Pastor Roy Geesey, Outreach Church, Greenville, SC
I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Charlie Kirk’s name means something significant.”
Charlie Kirk-army leader, free-man, warrior of the Church- place of worship!
God is always speaking, even in these moments. God bless Charlie’s family and legacy. Many more are going to be raised up as he was. Charlie Kirk was a precious seed. Watch and pray.
So I looked it up
According to Google:
The name Charlie means “free man,” “warrior,” or “army leader”.
embodying the spirit of freedom, autonomy, and leadership. The name’s association with independence, egalitarian values, and a desire for personal liberty can be seen as a spiritual representation of self-determination and pioneering spirit.”
The name Kirk has a spiritual meaning derived from its Old Norse origin, meaning “church” or “place of worship”.
This name carries connotations of spiritual devotion, connection to religious community, and often symbolizes those who were involved with the church, such as clergy or those living near a church.
I truly believe today is marked for eternity.
More will fall in the name of Jesus as they carry the Gospel of good news on their feet, but many miracles and the harvest will be unleashed. God will multiply and add to his church because of Charlie. One of the seeds that fell to the ground in fertile soil.
Written By Christianna Schreifels
Abba Father, we come before You with heavy hearts. This week has been marked with grief too deep for words. We cry out over the young Ukrainian girl Iryna Zarutska, whose life was stolen in horror while others stood by in silence. Lord, forgive us when fear or apathy keeps us from standing up for the vulnerable. Teach us to be a people of courage who protect the innocent and refuse to look away.
OH ABBA….our country is so broken right now, and we are grieving over the horrific murders this week…. Charlie Kirk…. He said he wanted to be remembered for his courageous faith—so let it be shouted to the ends of the earth that Charlie was a man of faith, unashamed of the gospel, and bold in his witness. May his life make the name of Jesus famous, and may his death stir many to rise up with the same fearless devotion. I pray for his family and his friends. Only You can comfort the broken-hearted.
Lord, heal our land. Silence the voices of hatred and division. Replace them with reverent worship, with awe of Your holiness, and with love that casts out fear. Strengthen Your Church to be salt and light in dark times, and let us not shrink back but stand firm in faith until the day of Christ Jesus. Only light can drive out darkness, and only love can drive out hate! Help us, Lord, to practice Love and be a LIGHT in darkness!
We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Written by Janet Swanson
The Cross Still Offends
The bullet tore the air in half.
A folding chair rattled. A Bible dropped. A young man slumped sideways beneath a white event tent, eyes wide with the weight of eternity.
It was supposed to be a conversation. A “prove me wrong” segment. But this time, rebuttal came not with words, but with a rifle.
Charlie Kirk didn’t get to finish his sentence.
I got the news just before prayer meeting. I contemplated this death as I prepared to lead the saints in prayer. But I didn’t feel like praying. Not tonight. My hands were still. My mouth was ready. But my soul was pacing. Angry. Grieving. Tempted.
Tempted to grow quiet.
Tempted to sit this one out.
Tempted to wonder if any of this, faith, boldness, public gospel witness, is still worth it.
Because hatred in this country isn’t simmering anymore. It is boiling.
Europe is trembling. Israel is burning. Rockets lit the sky over Gaza again. And now, here on American soil, the blood of a Christian apologist paints the pavement of a university quad.
What do you do with that?
What do you say when courage gets gunned down in daylight?
Charlie Kirk was no perfect man. None of us is.
But he had backbone where most of us don’t anymore. He was a believer. Unashamed. Unafraid. He understood that real conversations only happen when truth is welcome at the table. And the truth he carried most was Christ.
He brought the gospel into public space on purpose. Because the gospel isn’t supposed to stay in church basements and private Bible studies. It is meant to confront. It is supposed to offend. It was not made for safety.
The Word became flesh, and they nailed Him to a tree.
So, of course, they came for Charlie.
Of course, they reached for a gun.
This is what evil does when it runs out of arguments. It doesn’t reason. It kills.
That’s the part that catches in my throat. Not just the sadness, but the strategy of hell behind it.
The Enemy wants us afraid.
He wants us to see what happened to Charlie and backpedal.
He wants the rest of us to whisper, to soften the message, to believe the lie that faith should stay private.
But Christ never whispered.
He preached in temples, on hillsides, in courtrooms, at dinner tables.
And when they told Him to be quiet, He picked up His cross.
Not a symbolic one.
A real one.
Heavy. Bloody. Splintered.
When Jesus said, “Follow Me,” He didn’t hand out maps. He handed out crosses.
That’s what I remembered tonight.
I sat in our prayer space, surrounded by saints who had brought prayer lists and worn Bibles. And I realized I didn’t want to lead them in mourning. I wanted to lead them into battle. Not with banners or fists, but with open Bibles and tear-stained prayers.
The kind of war that kneels in gravel beside the wounded, hands them living water, and refuses to leave. The kind that speaks both mercy and judgment without flinching. The kind Charlie died for.
This world is not a friend to grace. But grace isn’t fragile.
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”
Paul didn’t leave that question unanswered.
“Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”
—Romans 8:35
He piles up every fear you and I carry and then sets them on fire.
“No. In all these things we are more than conquerors.”
That means bullets don’t win. Slander doesn’t win. Prison bars don’t win. Death doesn’t win.
You can lose everything in this world and still walk into glory with your head lifted high. Because the love of God in Christ Jesus isn’t suspended by headlines or gunfire.
There are two worlds unfolding right now.
The one you see.
And the one you don’t.
One is filled with chaos. The other is filled with crowns.
I believe that when Charlie Kirk’s body slumped to the concrete, his soul stood upright in heaven. Not limping. Not silenced. Not stunned. But crowned.
He didn’t fall.
He crossed.
The great cloud of witnesses gained another voice.
And I wonder if Stephen met him there.
The first martyr.
The man who got stoned for preaching what the crowd didn’t want to hear.
The man who, in his final breath, saw the heavens open.
The only time in all of Scripture we see Jesus standing at the right hand of God, rising to receive one of His own.
I like to believe He stood again.
Are you afraid?
Do you feel the tremble in your spirit?
Do you wonder if it’s still worth it to speak boldly, to carry your Bible, to preach the gospel in a world that doesn’t just disagree but wants you gone?
You’re not alone.
You’re not weak for feeling that.
But you are called to something stronger than silence.
Don’t let fear become your theology.
The cost is high. But the reward?
The reward is Christ. And He’s not a concept. He’s a King.
Heaven is not empty.
It is filled with scarred saints who refused to bow to fear.
Men who were stoned.
Women who were burned.
Children who sang while the flames climbed.
And every last one of them arrived.
There is no difficulty that can cancel the promise of God.
There is no persecution that can derail your destination.
There is no sniper’s bullet that can separate a soul from Christ.
Your life is not measured by how long you live on earth, but by how much of it was spent pointing to heaven.
Paul said, “I have fought the good fight… I have kept the faith.”
Then he looked toward the reward.
Not a monument. Not a mention in history books.
But a crown.
Handed to him by the One with nail marks still in His hands.
So let me say this clearly.
We do not mourn like the world mourns.
We do not write eulogies dripping with sentiment.
We sing songs of resurrection.
We carry the banner of a Kingdom that does not tremble.
Charlie Kirk did not die for nothing.
He died carrying the same message you and I must now carry forward.
The cross stands tall.
The tomb is still empty.
And the gospel has not lost one ounce of power.
So pick up your cross.
Wipe your eyes.
And keep going.
The crown is worth it.
The King is coming.
And there’s still time to speak.
Even if they shoot.
Lord, give us courage.
And if not safety, give us joy.
For we carry not just the message, but the marks.
And You are worth every bruise.
Written by Pastor Rich Bitterman, Cedar Ridge Baptist Church, Galena, Missouri
3 Lessons to Teach Your Kids from Charlie Kirk
As you talk to your children about today’s tragedy, here are three takeaways from Charlie’s life that are worth discussing and learning from as a family.
1. Charlie was unashamed of his faith in Jesus. Over and over again, Charlie made it known that he was a follower of Jesus, that Jesus is the only way, and that every person is in need of a Savior, no matter who they are. Charlie was passionate about his faith and wanted everyone to know his Jesus. Christ was the foundation of his life.
2. Charlie boldly stood for his beliefs. Whether you agreed with him or not, Charlie knew what he believed, knew how to defend what he believed, and was willing to die for what he believed. Few people in today’s culture have the boldness and conviction that Charlie had. Our world would be a better place if more people did.
3. Charlie respected people of different opinions. Charlie’s entire platform was about having civil dialogue with those who disagreed with him. He believed in the power of free speech and the freedom of persuasion through debate to change people’s hearts and minds. In a polarized society, this is exactly what America needs more of—people willing to have a violence-free and discussion-filled conversation, and simply hear each other out, even if they agree to disagree.
If my kids grew up to embody these three qualities, I’d be a very proud dad.
Pray for the family of Charlie Kirk. Pray for healing for our nation. Pray for our children’s future.
Written by Andrew Linder, Godly Parent
A Tribute to Charlie Kirk
Charlie Kirk was a mighty man of God. He carried a burning passion for our young people, and I emphasize young people, because we know that this generation is in great trouble. Yet, Charlie was a voice in the wilderness, crying out like John the Baptist did, preparing the way for truth (Matthew 3:3). He gave them a platform where they could openly share their thoughts, their fears, their hopes—and most importantly, where they could encounter Jesus Christ, the answer to every issue of life. He will surely be missed. But I believe his legacy will live on. In Hebrews 12:1, the Word tells us that we are surrounded by “a great cloud of witnesses.” And I see this clearly in the digital painting: Charlie walking up the stairs into the presence of Jesus. Yet before entering, he turns back and places a baton into the hand of a young person. Behind that one, a crowd of young people cheer, grieve, and rejoice all at once. Though their hearts will feel the sting of loss, they know he is in a better place, absent from the body and present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).
This baton represents the race that must continue. Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Now, it is our young people’s turn to run with endurance the race set before them (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Yes, we must pray for Charlie’s family and loved ones who are walking through this valley of grief (Psalm 23:4).
But we must also pray for the youth of this generation, that they would rise up with courage and conviction, taking the mantle Charlie has left behind. Our prayers can shape their destiny, for the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much (James 5:16).
Charlie was one of my favorites to listen to. His voice carried wisdom, fire, and clarity. And though I will miss him greatly, I know that the seed he sowed into this generation will not lie dormant. The next wave of young leaders will take that baton, and they will run, not only in this nation, but to every race, tribe, tongue, and people (Revelation 7:9).
My deepest condolences to the family of Charlie Kirk.
May the God of all comfort comfort you (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). And may we, the Church, rise up to cover this next generation in prayer, so they might soar with the Spirit of God and finish the work.
Written by Ricardo Colon, Silent Preacher
Continued prayers for Charlie’s family and friends, and our country.
